Ments



(No Model.)

C. W. LEWIS. TELEPHONE SWITGH.

Patented Oet. 24, 1882..

INVENTUB ATTORNEY JIJ- WITNESSES M@ @w r Unrrnn Smarts Farma Ormea,

CHARLES 7. LEWIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE VESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TELEPHONE-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,374, dated October 24, 1882. Application tiled April 13, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. Lnwis, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ot' Cook and State ot' Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ot' the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art 1o to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being' had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures otl reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to switches used in connection with telephones, in which the telephone must be shunted out of the main circuit of a telephone-line before it can be hung upon its supporting-arm. n

2o In telephone-switchesin general use the telephone is suspended from one end of a pivoted lever, the weight of the telephone causing the opposite end of the lever to be raised and make contact with electrical colita ct-points arranged to exclude the telephone trom the main circuit. Vhen said lever is in the position described, and when the telephone is removed from the lever, it automatically makes contact with other electrical contact-points arranged 3o to shunt the telephone into the main-line circuit. (lne disadvantage ot this system of switches is that the lever often makes imperi'ect metallic contacts at the different circuitclosing points, thus introducing a high resistance into the main line or entirelybreaking continuity. I overcome this disadvantage by providing` a switch and telephone-supporting arm so combined that to use the telephone the switch required to be moved by hand 4o to a contact-plate, which act throws a guard over the tele])hone-supporting arm, thus compelling the person using the telephone to restore the switch to its normal position, there'- by removing the guard before he can replace the telephone, the said switch making a rubbing and firm contact in each position.

lu the drawings accompanying this specification, Figure l is a perspective view showing the telephone removed from its support- 5o ing-arm, the movable guard being thrown over said arm. Fig. 2 is the same View, with the telephone resting ou its supporting-arm. Fig. 3 is the same view, showing the act ot' placing the telephone on its arm, the guard being forced to one side.

Similarletters refer t0 like parts in the sever'al views.

The letter B represents a suitable base, pret'- erably of wood, supporting the ditt'erent parts.

H represents an arm iXed to the base B, 6o having a right-angled extension, i, adapted to support the telephone when it is not in use.

The letter S represents a switch-lever of ordinary construction, having' limiting` stops e e, and pivoted to and in metallic connection with (5 the stud c, said stud having a wire connecting it with a binding-post, d, and to the main line W. To the free extremity' of the switch S is fixed a handle, o, curved at its end h, and of such lengthth'at when in the position shown 7o in Fig. l the end h coincides with the end t' of the supporting-arm H, as shown in Fig.

a portion of the handle o being covered by an insulating-sheath,f.

The letter T designates a magneto-telephone of well-known construction, having a curved handle, m, said telephone being connected by its wires 3 3 to binding-posts l and 2, binding-post l being connected to the main-wire binding-post d by wire 4. From binding-post 2 8:1 a wire, 9, leads to a metallic contact-plate,-A.

The letter C represents an ordinary electric call-bell, having one terminal ot' its coils connected to the metal plate A by wire 7, the other terminal being connected to the main line by wire 8.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows: In their normal position the telephone and switch are as shown in Fig. 2, thc mainline current passing by the way of wire 6, 9o switch S, plate A, wire 7, thencethrough the call-bell coils and wire S to the main line outside ot' the telephone. When it is desired to use the telephone it is taken from its supporting-arm H, and in order to bring the telephone into the main circuit the switch S must be moved from contact with plate A to plate A', thereby throwing the telephone into the main-line circuit outside of the coils of the call-bell, at thc same time bringing the end h ico of the switch-handle o immediately over the end tot' the supporting-arm H, thereby throwing a guard over said arm; and it is evident that this guard must be removed before the telephone can be replaced on its appropriate arm. This can only be done by moving the switch to its normal position in contact with plate A, thus breaking the main-line circuit through the telephone and restoring it through the coils of the call-bell.

That I claim isl. The combination, in a telephone apparatus, with the telephone-supporting arm, ot' a swinging switch-lever adapted to switch the telephone and signal alternately in or out of circuit, and provided with a handle the end of which is arranged to be brought in coincidence with the end ot' said supporting-arm when the telephone is in circuit and form a guard, which must be removed before the telephone can be placed upon said supporting-arm and switched out of circuit.

2. In a telephonestation apparatus, the combination, with the signal-bell circuit, tele.'- phone-circuit, and telephonesupporting arm, of acombined signal and telephone switchlever provided with an arm or guard adapted to be brought close to or cover the end ot' said telephone-supporting arm when the telephone is in circuit and the signal out ot' circuit in such manner that the telephone cannot be hung upon its supporting-arm until the said arm ot' the switch is moved away from said supporting'arm, the telephone being thereby Switched Out of and the signal into the circuit, substantially as described.

3. rEhe combination of the telephone-circuit plate A', forming one terminal of said eircuit, the telephone-supporting arm and the switch-lever S, provided with arm 0, arranged to be brought close to and form a guard for said supporting-arm when the switch is in contact with said plate A', substantially as described.

4. The combination of the signal-circuit, telephone-circuit, plates A and A', forming terminals of said circuits respectively, the telephone-supporting arm, and the switch-lever S, provided with arm o, arranged to be brought close to and form a guard for said supporting-arm when the switch is in contact with said plate A', and to be swung away from said arm when the switch is in contact with plate A, substantially as and tor the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the contact-plates, swinging switch-lever making rubbing or friction contacts with said plates, and a hoolt or supportingarm t'or the telephone, so placed with reference to said switchlever that the latter must be moved to break the circuit through the telephone before the telephonecan be hung upon its said hook or support, substantially as described. l

G. The combination, with the telephonecircuit, call-bell circuit, and supporting arm or hook for the telephone, ot' a swinging switchlever provided with a guard-arm which, when the said lever is so turned as to bring in the telephone, `will cover the point or close the opening ot' said hook or supportingarm, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I ai'iix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

UHARL ES W'. LEWIS.

XVitnesses:

C. SUJET, C. D. CRANDALL. 

